I didn't really write about infatuation because I was continuing some ideas from the last few weeks.
Performance become performative
When we think about performance, we mostly assume that someone is doing something on a stage, acting, and/or creating a fiction. As we discussed in class today, the characters in Mansfield Park are all performing their appropriate roles in society; however, when Sir Thomas leaves for Antigua in Volume One, the audience becomes privy to the fact that propriety is always in question when there is not an authority figure to impose that propriety. While it could be argued that Mrs. Norris performs this role when Sir Thomas is not around, she tends to only perform that role with Fanny. She reminds Fanny, in Volume Two that “people are never respected when they step out of their proper sphere. Remember that Fanny…The nonsense and folly of people’s stepping out of their rank and tying to appear above themselves, makes me think it right to give you a hint, Fanny, now that you are going into company without any of us…. Remember, wherever you are, you must be the lowest and the last” (234). While it is extremely ironic that Mrs. Norris would make this speech because she is the quintessential example of someone stepping out of her proper sphere and station, especially when she equates herself with Sir Thomas, even though she is simply middle class and was only made so because of Sir Thomas’ patronage to her husband.
However, what I really found interesting, especially at the end of Volume Two was Henry’s actions towards Fanny. Up to this point, he performed his role as the playboy-like tease when he was flirting with both Julia and Maria, even though Maria was engaged. However, he led both ladies on for the mere enjoyment, and I would argue because he was bored and had nothing better to do. I find it really interesting how boredom can bring out one’s true character within the novel. This boredom is what seems to inspire Henry to “play” with Fanny. However, his performance becomes performative because he brings into being the identity that he is performing – ie, he fakes like Fanny, but through the performance of that act, he actually falls in love with her. This concept is in-line with J. L. Austin’s concept of performative utterances, which bring into being what they name – think of the words spoken at a wedding ceremony during the vows, “I pronounce you man and wife”, which brings into being the couple becoming man and wife (yes, I do realized this is a gender-specific reading of a wedding, but Austin was speaking in the 1950s, so his examples were gendered).
I find Henry’s performance to be set in contrast to the play that they were supposed to be perform, where all the characters were stepping outside of their performed societal roles and engaging in questionable utterances and behaviors. As was said in class, they were all worried about the consequences that their performance within the play would have. I would argue that this is along the lines of the performative (similar to Henry) because they are afraid that if they act or say certain things those things will become “real.” And as we said in class, those actions and moments have consequences.
Performance become performative
When we think about performance, we mostly assume that someone is doing something on a stage, acting, and/or creating a fiction. As we discussed in class today, the characters in Mansfield Park are all performing their appropriate roles in society; however, when Sir Thomas leaves for Antigua in Volume One, the audience becomes privy to the fact that propriety is always in question when there is not an authority figure to impose that propriety. While it could be argued that Mrs. Norris performs this role when Sir Thomas is not around, she tends to only perform that role with Fanny. She reminds Fanny, in Volume Two that “people are never respected when they step out of their proper sphere. Remember that Fanny…The nonsense and folly of people’s stepping out of their rank and tying to appear above themselves, makes me think it right to give you a hint, Fanny, now that you are going into company without any of us…. Remember, wherever you are, you must be the lowest and the last” (234). While it is extremely ironic that Mrs. Norris would make this speech because she is the quintessential example of someone stepping out of her proper sphere and station, especially when she equates herself with Sir Thomas, even though she is simply middle class and was only made so because of Sir Thomas’ patronage to her husband.
However, what I really found interesting, especially at the end of Volume Two was Henry’s actions towards Fanny. Up to this point, he performed his role as the playboy-like tease when he was flirting with both Julia and Maria, even though Maria was engaged. However, he led both ladies on for the mere enjoyment, and I would argue because he was bored and had nothing better to do. I find it really interesting how boredom can bring out one’s true character within the novel. This boredom is what seems to inspire Henry to “play” with Fanny. However, his performance becomes performative because he brings into being the identity that he is performing – ie, he fakes like Fanny, but through the performance of that act, he actually falls in love with her. This concept is in-line with J. L. Austin’s concept of performative utterances, which bring into being what they name – think of the words spoken at a wedding ceremony during the vows, “I pronounce you man and wife”, which brings into being the couple becoming man and wife (yes, I do realized this is a gender-specific reading of a wedding, but Austin was speaking in the 1950s, so his examples were gendered).
I find Henry’s performance to be set in contrast to the play that they were supposed to be perform, where all the characters were stepping outside of their performed societal roles and engaging in questionable utterances and behaviors. As was said in class, they were all worried about the consequences that their performance within the play would have. I would argue that this is along the lines of the performative (similar to Henry) because they are afraid that if they act or say certain things those things will become “real.” And as we said in class, those actions and moments have consequences.